The Wednesday Word

It is Finished (Part 3) 

by D.G. Miles McKee
 
If you want to be effective as you serve the Lord Christ, never tire of hearing and applying the gospel.  In the light of the cross, we can learn to agree with the old Puritan preacher, John Flavell, who, when speaking of Jesus, declared,
 
"The condemnation was Thine, that the justification might be mine.
The agony was Thine, that the victory might be mine.
The pain was Thine, that the ease might be mine.
The stripes Thine, that the healing balm issuing from them might be mine.
The vinegar and gall Thine, that the honey and the sweet might be mine.
The curse was thine, that the blessing might be mine.
The crown of thorns was Thine, that the crown of glory might be mine. 
The death was Thine, that the life purchased by it might be mine. 

You paid the price, that I might enjoy the inheritance."
 
It is Finished!  We were lost and condemned by sin.  We could not perfectly and fully satisfy the demands of an all-holy God.  But in grace, Christ's doing and dying were imputed to us and declared us without fault before God.  Why?  Because ‘It is Finished!’
 
What a complete and perfect thing is the righteousness of God in Christ!  Every believer is credited with this righteousness. Listen to me, it is neither a righteousness that looks like Christ’s righteousness nor a righteousness that is similar to Christ’s righteousness, but it is the actual righteousness of Christ that is reckoned to us.
 
Let the searching eye of the all-holy and jealous God turn it every way, view it from every side, and there will not be found the least flaw or defect in it.  Let God the Judge thoroughly weigh it and examine it, and it will always appear pure and perfect, containing in it all that is necessary for our salvation. It is Finished!
 
But how do we get this righteousness?  How does it become ours?  What must we do to obtain it? The answer is it is ours by FAITH ALONE! 
 
Faith alone is how we approach God.  Faith alone receives our new verdict from heaven. But faith in what? It is not faith in the fact that we have faith. No indeed! We are saved by faith alone in Christ … the One who finished the work of our redemption.
 
When Jesus lived and died for us, He paid every debt sin had created.  And God now reckons that salvation has been accomplished.
 
It is Finished.
All is paid in full. 
What is done is done.
Our debt of sin is cancelled.
We are complete in Him.
 
However, because many of us are accustomed in this world to time payments (buying a thing and paying it off bit by bit), we bring that system over into our spiritual life. We think that, yes Jesus died on the cross for me, but I need to contribute something.   If God sees that I am serious about keeping His Law or sees that I have some holy affections or that I am carrying out some form of service and working at improving myself then,  if He takes note of these things, He will be doubly sure to open up heaven’s door for me! Away with this blasphemous thinking!  It is an abomination to God!
 
Let’s listen again to Jesus, "IT IS FINISHED!” 
 
The way to God is now open in Jesus Christ because IT IS FINISHED!
Our sins are gone because IT IS FINISHED! 
We have full assurance of faith because IT IS FINISHED!
 
Dear Believer, "Be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven you!! Your debts have all been paid through the blood of Calvary. Your conscience is now cleansed, you have eternal life and all because IT IS FINISHED!
 
And that’s the Gospel Truth!

 

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